Compiled by The Bedford Citizen
Although potentially inclement weather forced Monday’s Memorial Day observance indoors, to the auditorium at Bedford High School, the sentiments expressed remained strong as Bedford remembered.
“Today, many fewer of us know firsthand the loss that characterized other eras, and while Memorial Day has perhaps lost the universality that characterized its origins, we need only look around this room to feel how closely connected we are to those families that have experienced the loss of a loved one in service,” noted Bedford Selectman Margot Fleischman.
Her talk was punctuated by the refrain, “Today we remember them.”
“Remembering is an act of love and gratitude,” said Fleischman, “and Memorial Day reminds us to be grateful, for those who we knew and for those who we did not, and for the people around us.”
Click here to read the full text of Selectman Fleischman’s remarks
Bedford’s State Representative Ken Gordon felt compelled to point out, ” [W]e honor the memory of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom not by mere words, but by making the world more safe. Not less safe. We honor those who gave their lives for our freedom by doing everything we can to ensure that the children and grandchildren of our fallen heroes do not have to make the same sacrifice they did.”
Gordon continued, ” NATO is often referred to as the most successful alliance in history. It is the legacy of those who gave their lives in World War II. We owe it to them and those who sacrificed for our freedom since then, to strengthen these alliances, not weaken them, because they make the world a safer place.”
Click here to read the full text of Representative Gordon’s remarks
State Senator Mike Barrett continued the theme of remembrance and caution, quoting Karl Marlantes, a veteran of Marine combat in Vietnam in 1969-1970, who recently published What It’s Like To Go To War.
“War blows away the illusion of safety from death,” Marlantes wrote. “Some random projectile can kill you no matter how good a soldier you are. Escaping death and injury in modern war is more a matter of luck – or grace – than skill.”
Then, quoting Senator Elizabeth Warren in Tuesday’s Boston Globe, Barrett continued, “We honor the sacrifices of America’s men and women in uniform by remembering their bravery, by doing right by their families, and by doing our best for their fellow service members when they arrive home.”
Barrett concluded, “And, of course, by being careful, very careful, before putting other American soldiers at risk.”
Click here to read the full text of Senator Barrett’s remarks
Brigadier General Frank Magurn, Aassistant adjutant General, Massachusetts Army National Guard, noted, “Our citizens have written their legacy of honor and sacrifice in harrowing combat experiences throughout our history and we are right, in fact obligated, to pay tribute to those who perished upholding those virtues.
But as we acknowledge the virtue of the fallen, let us also be mindful of the stark realities of war and the extraordinary price paid by families, loved ones and our country.
Click here to read the full text of General Magurn’s remarks
In her prize-winning Memorial Day essay, Melissa Chen, an eighth-grade student in Jason Peledge’s Social Studies class at the Hanscom Middle School, recalled the spirit of Memorial Day, from its post-Civil War roots when it was known as Decoration Day, and suggested a way to counter today’s much faster-paced holiday.
She wrote, “Memorial Day is a solemn and celebratory holiday to remember all the service members who sacrificed their lives in pursuit of freedom. The holiday remembers each and every fallen soldier, from the Civil War to the combats in the Middle East. The best way to commemorate those Americans would be to engage yourself into a day of learning and understanding the history of the devastating wars. Most importantly, it is to visit a cemetery and pay your respects with flowers, wreaths and American flags to show your gratitude to their service. Don’t forget about the National Moment of Remembrance!”
Click here to read Melissa Chen’s full essay.
In the final analysis, Lt. Col. Kenneth A. Ferland, USAF, brought the keynote speeches full circle in describing his interaction with an elderly Veteran with whom he had a chance encounter.
“And then he said it, a few simple words that brought it all together. He said poignantly,“You know a person only dies when their name and memories are no longer spoken,” said Ferland.
“At that moment I realized I was not the first person he had stopped and “asked for directions” that afternoon. This was not the first time he told these stories. He believed it was his duty and his obligation to ensure those who met so much to him never truly died.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, as Americans citizens, we have the rights not afforded to many other nations because of the sacrifices of those who lived before us. With these rights come an obligation to ensure these brave men and women never die.
“An obligation to ensure their stories forever be told and their names eternally be etched on memorials across this great land.
“On this Memorial Day and every day I ask that we forever keep the fallen in our minds and their families in our hearts so that they may live in eternity.”
Click here to read the full text of Lt. Col. Ferland’s remarks
To round out our coverage, a selection of images from the ceremony
Correction, June 6, 2017: The photographs “At the American Legion for lunch after the ceremony” was incorrectly attributed to Barbara Purchia; it was taken by Elyse Purchia.
Loading ...
